Automatic coupling.



Y PATENTED MAR. s, 1902; G. A. HERMANSO'N. AUTOMATIC COUPLING.APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1803.

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UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAF A. HERMANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES MUNTON, OFMAYWOOD, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,891, dated March 3,1903.

Application filed January 3,190 3. Serial No. 137,655. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GUsTAF A. HERMANSON, acitizen of the United States,residing in Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Couplers, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic car-couplers for railway-cars of theclass commonly known as Master Oar-Builders couplers, and which have aforked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle, and gravity-lock.

The object of my invention is to provide a car-coupler of a simple,efficient, strong, and durable construction in which the lock will beprevented from creeping or jumping upward,in which the lock may be setto couple or uncouple, which will have means for preventing the removalof the look from the draw-head, and in which the lock will be readilyraised to uncouple in case the draftrigging of one coupler-should breakor accicentally become disengaged from its car, so that the detachedcoupler may be supported by the lifting lever and chain, and thusprevent its dropping down upon the track.

My invention consists in the means I employ to accomplish this object orresultthat is to say, it consists in the novel construction of parts anddevices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shownor described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figures 1, 2, and 3 are central vertical longitudinal sections of acar-coupler embodying myinventiomshowing the parts in differentpositions. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail side and rear views, respectively,of the lifting-piece; andFigs. 6 and 7 are detail side and rear views,respectively, of the look.

In said drawings, A represents the forked draw-head of a car-couplerhaving the customary pivot-arm a, guard-arm a, and drawbar a B is theknuckle; O, the pivot-pin; D, the gravity-lock; F, the lifting-piece; H,the lifting-lever, and h the chain connecting the same with the eye ofthe lifting-piece.

The gravity-lock D, which engages the tail 7) of the knuckle to hold theknuckle closed,

moves up and down in a guideway or passage a of the draw-head and isprovided at its upper end with a hook d, which engages a correspondinghook f on the lower end of the lifting piece. The lock D is furnishedwith a recess or chamber d at its upper end to receive the hook f on thelifting-piece and perwit a limited up-and-down movement of theliftingpiece in respect to the lock. The book f has a strengthening-webf, and the rear wall or web of the lock D at the chamber portion thereofhas a slot (1 to receive said Web f when the lifting-piece is in itslowermost position in respect to the lock D, as shown in Fig. 1. Thelock D has at its front side a shoulder or offset (i adapted to restupon the tail of the knuckle, and thus set the lock for uncoupling thecouplers, as illustrated in Fig. 2, when the cars subsequently separate.The lock D has at its lower end a shoulder or offset d adapted to restupon the lower Web or floor a of the draw-head and support the lock inits raised position, and thus set the lock for automatically couplingthe couplers when the cars subsequently come together. The lock-set leg01 of the lock,which has the lockset shoulder 01 is provided at itslower end with a guide finger or extension ad, which fits in the openinga in the lower web of the draw-head and serves as a guide to keep thelock in position When the lock is raised. The hook d at the front sideof the upper end of the lock has a rounded shoulder d which engages ashoulder a on the drawhead at the front side of the lock passage-waytherein and serves to prevent the look from creeping and accidentallyjumping upward when the cars are in motion. readily understood from Fig.l of the drawings. The lifting-piece F has a toe or projection f justabove the hook f, which toe or projection f is furnished with a curvedor inclined upper face f and which toe or projection by engagement withthe rear wall a of the lock passage-way in the draw-head holds the upperend of the lock in its forward position, as shown in Fig. l, and theupper end of the lock or its shoulder d in proper engagement with theshoulder a on the drawhead, so that the lock cannot creep or jump upwardwhen the cars are in motion. To aid This .Will be in this function, therear wall of the lock passage-way in the draw-head has an incline orprojection a and the socket or recess d in the upper end of the lockwhich receives the hook f of the lifting-piece is shaped to fit somewhatsnugly at the lower portion thereof. The toe or projection f on thelifting-piece by engagement with the cross-pin G, which extends throughthe drawhead at the side of the lock passageway therein, also preventsthe lock and lifting-piece from being entirely removed from thedraw-head except by first removing this pin. The lifting-piece F isfurther provided at its upper end with a head j, having a curved flangef to fit over and close the lock passage-way in the draw-head. f is theeye at the upper end of the liftingpiece for connection with thelifting-chain h. The head f at the upper end of the liftingpiece has acurved or inclined lower face 1", and the lifting-piece has a cut-awayportion or open space f between the head f and the toe or projection 1,which serves to facilitate the upward movement of the lifting-piece andlock and to prevent the same from binding under strain from thelifting-chain at different angles due to difierent positions of thecoupler in respect to the car. The incline a on the rear wall of thedraw-head also facilitates the easy upward movement of thelifting-piece, especially under strains from the chain in a forwarddirection. As the hook d at the upper end of the lock is at the frontside thereof or adjacent to the lock-set shoulders d and d when the lockis lifted by the hook on the lifting-piece, it automatically orbygravity tilts forward, asillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, so that theshoulder (1 will properly engage and rest upon the tail of the knuckleif the knuckle is closed, and thus automatically set the lock foruncoupling, or so that the shoulder d will engage the lower web or floorof the draw-head, and thus set the lock in position for coupling if theknuckleis open.

I claim- 1. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-headand a pivoted knuckle, of a gravity-lock having a hook at its upper endat the front side thereof, and a lifting-piece having a hook at itslower end engaging the hook on the lock, the draw-head having a shoulderat the front side of the lock passageway therein engaging the upper endof the lock to prevent the lock from creeping or jumping upward,substantially as specified.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head and apivoted knuckle, of a gravity-lock having a hook at its upper end at thefront side thereof, and a lifting-piece having a hook at its lower endengaging the hook on the lock, the draw-head having a shoulder at thefront side of the lock passageway therein engaging the upper end of thelock to prevent the look from creeping or jumping upward,'said lockhaving a socket or recess in its upper end to receive the hook onthelifting-piece, substantiallyas specified.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head and apivoted knuckle, of a gravity-lock having a hook at its upper end at thefront side thereof, and a lifting-piece having a hook at its lower endengaging the hook on the lock, the draw-head having a shoulder at thefront side of the lock passageway therein engaging the upper end of thelock to prevent the look from creeping or jumping upward, said lockhaving a socket or recess in its upper end to receive the hook on thelifting-piece, and said socket or recess in the lock permitting alimited up-and-down movement of the lifting-piece in respect to thelock, substantially as specified.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head and pivotedknuckle, of a lock having at its front side a lock-set shoulder adaptedto engage the tail of the knuckle to set the lock for uncoupling and asecond lock-set shoulder adapted to engage the lower web or floor of thedraw-head to set the lock for coupling, and a lifting-piece connectedwith the lock at the front side thereof to cause the lock to tiltforward at its lower end when lifted and throw its lock-set shouldersinto proper position for engagement, substantially as specified.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head and pivotedknuckle, of a lock having at its front side a lock-set shoulder adaptedto engage the tail of the knuckle to set the lock for uncoupling and asecond lock-set shoulder adapted to engage the lower web or floor of thedraw-head to set the lock for coupling, and a lifting-piece connectedwith the look at the front side thereof to cause the lock to tiltforward at its lower end when lifted and throw its lock-set shouldersinto proper position for engagement, the drawhead having a shoulderengaging the front upper end of the lock to prevent the lock fromcreeping, substantially as specified.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head and pivotedknuckle, of a lock having at its front side a lock-set shoulder adaptedto engage the tail of the knuckle to set the lock for uncoupling and asecond lock-set shoulder adapted to engage the lower web or floor of thedraw-head to set the lock for coupling, and a lifting-piece connectedwith the look at the front side thereof to cause the lock to tiltforward at its lower end when lifted, and throw its lock-set shouldersinto proper position for engagement, the drawhead having a shoulderengaging the front upper end of the lock to prevent the lock fromcreeping, said lifting-piece having a toe or projection at its lower endengaging the rear wall of the lock passage-way in the draw-head to holdthe upper front end of the lock in engagement with said shoulder on thedrawhead, substantially as specified.

7. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head and pivotedknuckle, of a lock having at its front side a lock-set shoulder adaptedto engage the tail of the knuckle to set the lock for uncoupling, and asecond lock-set shoulder adapted to engage the lower web or floor of thedraw-head to set the lock for coupling, a lifting-piece connected withthe look at the front side thereof to' cause the lock to tilt forward atits lower end when lifted, and throw its lock-set shoulders into properposition for engagement, the drawhead having a shoulder engaging thefront upper end of the lock to prevent the look from creeping, saidlifting-piece having a toe or projection at its lower end engaging therear wall of the lock passage-wayin the draw-head to hold the upperfront end of the lock in engagement with said shoulder on the drawhead,and a pin extending across the rear side of the lock passage-way in thedraw-head and adapted to engage said toe or projection on thelifting-piece, substantially as specified.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head of apivoted knuckle, a lock D, having hook d and recess d in its upper endand provided with lock-set shoulders 01 and (Z and a lifting-piece Fhaving hook f at its lower end, substantially as specified.

9. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, ofapivoted knuckle, alock D, having a hook d and recess d in its upper endand provided with lock-set shoulders d and (Z and a lifting-pieceFhaving hook f at its lower end and a toe or projection f above saidhook, substantially as specified.

10. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of apivoted knuckle, a lock D, having a hook d and recess (1 in its upperend and provided with lock-set shoulders d and (1 a lifting-piece Fhaving hook fat its lower end and a toe or projection f above said hookfurnished with a curved or inclined upper face,substantially asspecified.

11. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of apivoted knuckle, a lock D, having hook d and recess (1 in its upper endand provided with lock-set shoulders 61 and (1 a lifting-piece F havinghook f at its lower end and a toe or projection f above said hook,saidlifting-piece also having a head f at its upper end, substantially asspecified.

12. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of apivoted knuckle, a lock D, having hook d and recess d in its up per endand provided with lock-set shoulders d and d a lifting-piece F havinghook at its lower end and a toe or projection f above said hook, saidlifting-piece also having a head f at its upper end and a cut-awayportion between said head f and said toe or projection f substantiallyas specified.

13. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of apivoted knuckle, a lock D, having a hook d and recess d in its upper endand provided with lock-set shoulders d and 01 a lifting-piece F havinghook f at its lower end and a toe or projection f above said hook, and across-pin G, substantially as specified.

14. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of apivoted knuckle, a lock D, having a hook d and recess d in its upper endand provided with lock-set shoulders d and d*, a lifting-piece F havinghook fat its lower end and a too or projection f above said hook, saidlifting-piece also having a head f at its upper end and a cut-awayportion between said head f and said too or projection f and a cross-pinG, substantially as specified.

GUSTAF A. HERMANSON.

Witnesses:

EDMUND ADcocK, H. M. MUNDAY.

